Rock Your World
by deamrose10
Summary: umi. leather. contest. enough said. (umi/maki)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm on a roll! Can't get enough of Umi/Maki! Especially since there's so little fics out there dedicated to them. Hopefully, my contributions to this pairing will help some to see how cute they really are =)

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Disclaimer: Love Live not mine ^_^

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"The school festival's coming up, right? What are we going to do-nya?" Rin asked, slumping on the chair next to Honoka as the first years entered the club room. Honoka, Kotori, and Nico were already there.

"Should we wait for the others first before we talk about this? Maybe they have some ideas as well. Eli-chan and Nozomi-chan are still at the student council, and Umi-chan has Kyudo practice." Hanayo said as she sat beside Kotori.

"They can just pitch in later. We're already here so let's make the most of it while we wait."

"I agree with Nico-chan. Obviously we'll be performing. But Eli did say we shouldn't limit ourselves to that." Maki added, sitting next to Hanayo.

"That's right! Okaasan also said it's an opportunity to raise funds for the clubs, and that survey says our school is amongst the schools to visit by potential students since U's debuted. It's very difficult to make some of our costumes with a shoestring budget, so extra funds will be of big help."

"What do you think, Honoka-chan?" The others all looked towards Honoka who's deep in thought.

"Hmm, I think we should also join some of the activities of the other clubs like contests and stuff. It'll be like free publicity before our performance. But what can we do as a fund raiser?"

"We can open up a food stall-nya! Everybody likes to eat, and it'll help raise our funds faster than booths. Kayo-chin and I will help with the cooking!" Rin exclaimed as she raised her hand and stood up from her seat.

"Huwaaa! Can we do a butler cafe then?! I'll make sure our costumes will be super cute! And if everyone agrees, I want Umi-chan to be our head butler. She'll look absolutely dashing!" Kotori said excitedly, stars in her eyes.

"But shouldn't she be here before we decide on anything? Although I don't disagree. Umi-chan is really cool and popular with the girls here. I bet lots of people will visit us just to see her. And Eri-chan, too!" Hanayo said, a dreamy look in her eyes the same as Kotori's.

"Hmph! Yeah, yeah, they look good. But Nico-nii is still the most popu - !"

"Moving on." Maki interrupted.

"Hey!" Nico glared daggers at Maki for interrupting her. The redhead just ignored her and kept on talking.

"I like the idea. Less thing to worry about since we have more than enough space to use in the next room. Let's bring it up later when we're all here."

"I like it, too! I can just imagine our sweet Umi-chan serving customers while they ask for a picture with her. Kyaa!" Honoka shrieked, making Maki frown for reasons unknown. The door to the club room opened and in walked Eri and Nozomi.

"Sorry we're late. What are you guys doing?" Eri greeted as she placed her bag down.

"Ah, Eri-chan, Nozomi-chan! We were just talking about our fund raiser for the school festival," Honoka said to the two seniors.

"We thought that a butler cafe will be cute, and our club room is big enough to accommodate customers." Kotori added.

"Oh, that's a good idea! What do you think, Ericchi?" Nozomi said as she sat down next to Rin, Eli sitting next to her.

"I don't think it's a bad idea. It's going to be a lot of work, but I think we can pull it off."

"Yay! This is going to be the best festival ever-nya!"

"We can go over it again later. Right now we need to decide on who's going to join the Miss Handsome contest that the Student Council's sponsoring for the last day of the festival. It's going to be the school's main highlight." Eri announced, making everyone, except Nozomi, look at her curiously.

"Miss Handsome contest?" Hanayo asked.

"Hai. Well, it was initially supposed to be a beauty pageant, but other members of the council said that a Miss Handsome contest will attract more potential students. It was also decided that every club should have a representative, and that includes us. Advertising for this event will also be a big deal. An official statement will be posted tomorrow, including the mechanics."

"Eri-chan should join! We're going to win for sure!" Honoka exclaimed.

"Yay, Eri-chan!" The blonde just smiled apologetically to the others.

"Gomen, but since I'm part of the Student Council, I can't join. We need to choose someone else." Everyone deflated at that, but Nico stood up suddenly, a haughty air around her.

"It can't be helped then. Please, no begging. It's going to be tough, but I'll gladly take on the challenge and be our representative."

"..." Everyone just deadpanned and ignored her entirely.

"Who'd like to volunteer?" Maki then asked the others as they looked at each other, indecisive.

"Stop ignoring me!" Nico shouted.

"Umi-sempai!" They heard someone shout outside as the person ran past their window, and the girls all looked outside to see what's going on.

"Huh? I wonder what's up?" Honoka asked quietly as she and the others squeezed themselves in the window and peeked outside, only to see Umi standing at the walkway, probably on her way to the club room, as she stopped to acknowledge the girl who called for her.

"Isn't that Masahiko Hikari-san? She just transferred here last month. She's in our class-nya," Rin answered everyone's unspoken question. They leaned in further, trying hard to listen to the conversation outside, Kotori and Hanayo anticipating the exchange moreso than the others, seemingly predicting what's about to happen.

"Ah, Masahiko-san, right? You were the one who's visiting the Kyudo club lately. I hope you enjoyed watching us practice." Umi smiled sweetly to the younger girl, making her blush bright red as she fidgeted with something behind her.

"What can I do for you?" The girl, with long brown hair and bright red eyes, shuffled uncomfortably under Umi's gaze, trying hard to compose herself. She then bowed before her senior, thrusting a pink scented envelope with a heart sticker on the front near the older girl's face, and Umi had no choice but to take it as to not let it drop.

"Umm, sempai, onegai! Please accept this!" the blushing girl almost shouted, surprising Umi, then ran away as fast as she could. She ran past the club room again, where the peeping girls saw how red her face is, like it's going to combust any moment.

"W-what? Ah, matte!" Umi tried to call for the girl but she's already out of sight. She just looked at the letter in her hands miserably. _'Sigh. Not again.'_ She pocketed the letter, making sure to keep it well hidden, then continued walking towards the club room, face gloomy. The others went back to their seats, mischievous smiles apparent on most of the members' faces as their minds started working. Eli voiced out her thoughts soon after, a smirk in place.

"He he he. You girls thinking what I'm thinking?" Nozomi, Rin, Hanayo, Honoka, and Kotori nodded excitedly. Maki just sat quietly while twirling a strand of her hair, internally thinking she didn't like where this was going. Nico was put off, but couldn't help but to agree with the others' train of thought. Eli's smirk got wider.

"I think we just found our representative!"

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A/N: this story is based loosely on Maki's School Idol Diary chap 3 where the group's planning activities for the school festival. I'll be posting a different story for the butler cafe, so hope you guys tune in! Thanks for reading! ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

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It's been a week since the announcement regarding the contest was released, and the entire school seemed to be abuzz. Everyone seemed to be excited about it, all the clubs eagerly planning already in preparation for the event. Well, all except two.

"Umi-chan!" "Umi-sempai!"

Umi sighed loudly in exasperation. Sometimes she thought that being born the way she is, is actually a curse of some kind and that she's being punished for something. She wanted to run away but it'll be problematic and she's tired of evading her teammates and fellow members ever since the announcement was made. She turned around to greet Honoka, Kotori, and Tanaka Miu from the Kyudo club with a tight smile.

"Hello. Is there anything I can do for you, three? I need to go to the library, so if it's not too important, I'll be on my way," Umi said, tone indifferent. She didn't mean to be rude, but it's tiring to keep on trying to get out of something that everyone adamantly wants to place her in, specifically, being the contestant for the Miss Handsome contest. Here's the catch, though: both the Idol Research Club and the Kyudo Club wants her to be their representative. Talk about a splitting headache!

The three girls suddenly became wary due to the cold gaze they're receiving from the bluenette. One could say they were even nervous to an extent. Umi can be very scary when she wants to be.

"Ano, Umi-chan! Let's have lunch together! You've been going to the library for days, we hardly see you outside class anymore," Honoka said, sweating bullets as Umi turned her hard gaze towards her. Kotori just hid behind Honoka, not wanting to be on the receiving end of her friend's stare. Bringing up the contest seems to be out of the question with the way their friend is right now.

"Umi-sempai! The girls and I at the Kyudo club wanted to discuss with you about something. Please have lunch with us instead! Onegai!" Miu pleaded, hands clasped together, hoping for Umi to agree. The archer was internally trying to restrain herself from lashing out at the three. School's not the proper place to garner unnecessary attention, and she really needed to go to the library to meet with someone.

"Is that all? I'm sorry but I'm busy. Whatever you want to discuss with me can wait, right? I'll just see you after school during practice." With that, Umi turned away and left the three with their mouths open. It wasn't like Umi to be so dismissive, but being forced to do something can put a lot of pressure to someone, and they can't really blame her. But Umi's been like that for days now, actively ignoring anyone in both clubs unless there's a reason to talk to them, and both the Idol Research Club and the Kyudo Club are getting desperate because the submission for contest participants is already due the following school week.

"Kousaka-sempai, Minami-sempai, onegai! We need Umi-sempai to be our representative. Your club can choose from eight other people who's more than enough to qualify for the contest, but our club only has Umi-sempai." Honoka and Kotori looked at each other as Miu bowed before them.

"Even if you say that, Tanaka-san, nobody in our club really wants to compete with Umi-chan. She's also our best bet. And besides, at this rate, it seems that both our clubs need to have a back up plan since Umi-chan's being a little difficult lately." Everyone just sighed heavily at that.

* * *

Umi slumped down on her usual spot when she got to the library, emotionally tired to even lift a book, let alone tutor the younger girl sitting beside her who's giving her a curious look.

"Ran into them again, I presume?" The second year sighed loudly, buried her face in her hands, and nodded.

"I don't want to be intentionally mean to anybody, but having them come up to me every single day for the past week and begging me to join, even during break and in between classes, is getting to be borderline ridiculous! Not to mention irritating. I'm not the only one qualified to enter this stupid contest. I mean, you can enter it, too, and I'm sure you'll do great, Maki." The junior just raised an eyebrow at the older girl.

"Oh, I know I'll do great, but these types of events aren't exactly my cup of tea," the junior smugly said as she placed her book down to look at Umi.

"Hmph. And it is for me? You know how I get when I'm put in the spotlight like that! I don't even know why you guys considered me in the first place!" Umi groaned as she covered her head with her arms, face planted on the table.

' _Well, considering you're very pretty, cool, and multi talented, not to mention very popular with the girls here, I'd say you're the most obvious choice. Eli comes in a close second. For me, that is.'_ Maki blushed but decided to refrain from voicing out her thoughts as to not upset the bluenette further. She just resulted to patting her back awkwardly.

"Ne, let's just study or else lunch break will be over and we'll never get anything done," the redhead said and pushed her notes to the side so that her senior can look at them. Umi just smiled, grateful for the distraction.

It didn't take them long to finish, Maki being a very fast learner, so the two decided to study by themselves before leaving for their next class. The redhead stretched a bit and looked at her watch. _'Ten minutes. I guess we better pack up.'_ She glimpsed at Umi and noticed that, instead of studying, the girl is looking outside the window, deep in thought, worry lines etched on her forehead. Maki, elbow on the table and hand cradling her head, just stared unabashedly at the girl sitting beside her. _'Umi's really pretty, even if she looks a bit stressed. I'm not surprised that she gets lots of love letters. I wonder what she's thinking about now. The contest, I bet.'_ Umi noticed Maki staring at her and she just blushed at having been caught spacing out, but smiled sheepishly nonetheless. The younger girl just smiled back and tapped her watch, indicating that break's almost over. The bluenette nodded and started gathering her notes and books. The two then walked out the library together. Umi bid her junior goodbye, but as she started walking the opposite direction towards her class, Maki suddenly caught her left hand, making Umi look back at her, surprised.

"Maki?" The younger girl just smiled.

"For all it's worth, regardless whether you decide on going through with this contest or not, I personally think you're the perfect person for it. You don't need to force yourself, and you're not liable to anybody, but if you do choose to enter, It'll be a good learning experience for you, and I honestly think you'll enjoy yourself." Maki squeezed her senior's hand before letting go and walking away, leaving a wide eyed Umi. She was startled out of her thoughts when a couple of kids ran past her, so she resumed walking before she's late.

' _That Maki never ceases to amaze me,'_ Umi thought, a soft smile playing on her lips, Maki's words repeatedly playing in her mind.

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A/N: Nothing too specific yet, I'm actually just playing around with this. Thanks for reading! ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

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"Ah, Umi, good morning!" The bluenette smiled as she placed her bow down and greeted the girl before her.

"Vere! Long time, no see! I heard you got sick and unfortunately had to take a two-week leave from school. How are you feeling now? Better, I hope."

"Yes, I'm doing good, thank you very much! I don't recommend food poisoning as means to escape from school, though. It felt like something ate my stomach alive!" The two shared a laugh at that. Takeda Vere, gorgeous wavy strawberry blonde hair just past her shoulders, stunning emerald eyes, petite, same year as Umi but in a different class, also a member of the Kyudo Club. She transferred to Otonokizaka High School in the middle of the school year when they were still freshmen. She's half French, as seen from her facial features, but she was raised in a Japanese setting.

The two sat down beside each other and Umi updated the blonde regarding club activities and school matters. It was still fairly early, and other members of the club won't be coming in for practice for another hour, more or less.

"So, the festival's in two months and we're going to hold an exhibition match? Well, we can't really do anything else, obviously. We're short on members as is. Hopefully we can use this opportunity to attract potential students interested in Kyudo."

"I know what you mean. Oh, and there's something else! The Student Council's sponsoring a Miss Handsome contest on the last day of the festival. Every club is required to participate. Apparently, it's a big deal, since they think it'll help boost our school's student admissions for next year." Vere stared at her schoolmate carefully then smirked.

"You seem distressed. I assume everyone's hounding you to be our club's representative, then?" Umi just glared at her friend then sighed.

"Unfortunately, yes. But so is the Idol Research Club. Deadline for submissions is coming up so everybody's getting more aggressive in persuading me. It's irritating, and I really don't want to enter in the first place!"

"Don't want to or you're just scared to do it? Knowing you, I'm leaning towards the latter." The two just stared at each other for a long time until Umi looked away, blushing. Vere just laughed at the bluenette and patted her head. Not many people can do that to Umi, the two becoming close as they got to spend time with each other during practice and because they're in the same grade. And the blonde is a very easy-going person but can be serious when needed, and Umi finds her presence relaxing, so it's easy to be herself when with her.

" _Sigh._ To be perfectly honest, I'm interested. I'm not eager to join, but Maki said that it'll be a good learning experience for me, and I think she's right. But let's say that I will enter. The bigger problem is which club I'm going to represent. You know how I hate to disappoint anybody if I can help it, but in the long run, I still need to choose. What do you think?" Umi looked at the shorter girl who's deep in thought, hand on her chin.

"Well, it is bothersome for them to make you choose between the two clubs, and I'm almost certain that neither club will concede. I can't really decide for you, and we can't exactly draw straws for it. The only option I can come up with is if both clubs can come up with another member that's willing to represent, which is leaning towards unlikely." Both girls just sighed heavily, seemingly back to square one. They decided to postpone their discussion for later since they can hear the other members arriving already. Early morning practice dragged on, and, thankfully, the topic of the contest was not brought up by anybody.

"Let's have lunch together later. It's been ages! And guessing from your stories, you haven't been spending time with Honoka-san and Kotori-san for a while, so I won't feel guilty for stealing you away," Vere said, amused, as she and Umi walked towards the main building together. The taller girl just laughed.

"Sure, no problem! I just stay at the library these days, anyway. I'll see you later then!"

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"Maki!" The first year looked behind her and saw her blue-haired senior beckoning her from outside her classroom. The redhead hurriedly went over to the older girl to tune out the squeeling of her classmates after seeing the object of their affections.

"Umi? What are you doing here?" The bluenette just looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry, Maki, but I won't be able to meet you at the library during lunch today. If you need me for anything, I'll gladly help you after school. Or tomorrow, if it could wait." Maki just blinked.

"Uh, sure, Umi. No problem." The older girl smiled beautifully at the redhead, grateful. Maki was at a loss for words at how glowing Umi seemed at that moment.

"Arigatou, Maki! I'll see you later!" Before Maki could utter a goodbye, Umi left quickly, probably trying to lessen the attention she's already receiving from the first years who were looking out the classroom to eavesdrop on their conversation. The redhead just sighed internally and walked back to her room while glaring at her classmates as she passed them. She was disappointed, yes, but it's not like she and Umi agreed to always meet during lunch break. Although, if she were to be really honest, she enjoyed having Umi to herself for the past week, and she was most certain that she's trying to not get used to it. Sadly, though, it didn't last that long. _'It doesn't seem like she's in trouble or anything. Oh well, I guess I'll eat lunch with Rin and Hanayo then head to the music room. Sigh. I wonder what's up. She seemed excited for lunch today.'_

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School went by fast, and it was finally time for after school activities. Umi opted to forego going to the Kyudo club that afternoon, as per Vere's suggestion during lunch break, so that they can talk about what to do for the upcoming festival without having the whole Kyudo club badgering the bluenette about the contest. And since, because, Umi can handle herself better if the topic's brought up by the members of the Idol Research Club instead. She knows that she can't keep avoiding the issue for long, and that they need to come up with a solution soon.

"So, what do you guys think?"

"Waah! Kotori-chan, kawaii! Those outifts match perfectly with our butler cafe theme!"

"Arigatou, Hanayo-chan. Umi-chan, what do you think?" The said bluenette was startled out of her thoughts and looked up to see everybody looking at her. She sighed, pushed herself off the wall she's leaning on, then sat beside Maki on the table to get a good look at what Kotori was referring to. They were busy preparing for their cafe for the festival, and they needed to finalize everything before starting practice that afternoon.

"They look wonderful, Kotori. I'm sure they will look even better come opening day," Umi said, trying to sound as cheerful and as interested as possible. The others just looked at her, worry and guilt evident in their eyes. All of them felt ashamed for pressuring Umi like what they've been doing for the past couple of weeks. They haven't even heard her yell at Honoka, let alone lecture anyone else, and they'll take a strict, monstrous Umi than an indifferent one any day. The contest isn't that important for them to risk their friendship like that. The other members looked at each other, nodded, then faced Umi, the bluenette oblivious to the exchange.

"Ne, Umi-chan," Honoka started and waited until her friend looked up at her.

"We want to apologize for our behavior regarding the contest the past several days, and that we realized that we should've been more sensitive regarding your opinion on the matter instead of deciding on the spot like that for you."

"We know that it isn't fair to you, especially since it isn't only us who's dragging you into this, and we're really sorry, Umi-chan," Hanayo solemnly said.

"We still believe you're the best person to enter, but we won't force you anymore if you really don't want to. It's not worth it if it means we're making you uncomfortable when being with us," Nozomi added, looking remorseful.

"Please forgive us, Umi-chan. I guess we were too excited and didn't think how it'll affect you – nya," Rin said as she stood up to hug her senior, and Umi welcomed it, smiling softly.

"If you really feel that you're not cut out for it, we'll decide on someone else. But please, Umi, think about it again, at least until tomorrow. If your answer is still no, we'll accept it," Eli concluded. Umi stared at each of her friends' faces, seeing that they were really sorry, and that she's happy that they care enough to admit to what they've done and that they're doing something to amend their mistake.

"I'm sorry, too, for being impassive lately. It's not easy for me to lose control over something, and that I honestly felt I was robbed of my decision regarding this event, and I admit I'm hurt. But I accept your apologies all the same. If you'll be able to wait until tomorrow, I'll give you my answer then." Relieved faces met hers, and thankfully, Nico decided to end all the drama by announcing that it's getting late and they still have practice to do.

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"Umi, wait up!" The second year turned around and waited for Maki to catch up to her, then walked together towards the music room. Practice was over, and the two were tasked to try and complete a new song before the festival rolled in.

"You doing okay? It's a good thing you cleared the air with everyone, and that they won't bother you anymore regarding the contest." The bluenette looked down and sighed softly.

"Yes, but now I feel a bit guilty. I don't want to disappoint anybody, Maki. You really think I should do it?"

"You already know my opinion in this, I don't need to keep repeating myself. It's up to you, now," the first year said with a no nonsense tone that Umi couldn't help but grin momentarily then sighed heavily as they both sat down in front of the piano.

"By the way, where were you during break? I ran into Honoka and Kotori and they were looking for you," Maki asked, trying to sound like she wasn't really interested as she played some slow songs to warm up.

"Huh? Oh! Well, I kind of met someone for lunch. I'm not certain if you're familiar with her. Takeda Vere. She's a second year from the other class. We do Kyudo together. She took a leave for a while and she just returned today," Umi explained, not noticing that her companion suddenly stopped playing and went rigid beside her. The first year hasn't been acquainted with the girl, but she's familiar with her, Honoka and Kotori having mentioned her once or twice before when Umi was off to participate in Kyudo competitions. Apparently she's an exotic beauty, and was almost always seen hanging around with Umi during Kyudo practice. The redhead caught herself and continued playing so as not to cause any suspicions as Umi briefly recapped her lunch "date."

"I-is that so? I noticed you were acting a bit, uhh, excited? Yeah, something like that. Is she a close friend of yours?" The first year internally cursed herself for sounding like a babbling idiot, and in front of Umi, no less. Good thing her senior's a bit dense sometimes and didn't notice Maki stuttering.

"Hmm, you could say that. I'm sorry for bailing out on you, but I haven't seen her in weeks and it's really nice to catch up with her. She's helping me with the contest, too," Umi stated as she skimmed over her lyrics notebook. At that, a flash of disappointment entered Maki's eyes, but only briefly. She didn't know why she's feeling this way, but having been Umi's go-to person during the days they spent together when she was evading the other members, the redhead considered it as some sort of precious secret between them. Knowing that an "outsider" was in on it, too, she felt obsolete, especially now since the bluenette made up with their friends.

"Maki? Hey, is something the matter?" The first year jumped when Umi touched her shoulder then gave a tight smile as she looked at her friend.

"I'm fine. I thought I came up with a good melody, but it escaped me. Come on, let's get this over with so we can go home." If Umi thought her junior's tone of voice was a bit hostile, she didn't show it. _'Maybe she's just tired. I guess I'll just leave her be.'_ Umi got up from her seat and went to work on one of the tables instead as Maki followed her through her peripheral vision, the two working quietly for the rest of the afternoon.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

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"Do you think we're making the right choice?"

"Well, regardless, I think it's too late to back out now, don't you think?" Umi sighed heavily as she stared nervously at the girl beside her then down to the paper she's holding with her name written on it. Apparently, the _Kyudo_ club, sans Umi, had a meeting and finally decided that someone else would be their representative for the contest, much to the bluenette's surprise, with the members apologizing profusely for having troubled her.

"Never thought I'd compete against you in anything other than _Kyudo_ , though," Umi said, and the two of them shared a laugh to ease their nerves.

"Come on, it's pointless to just dawdle here. Let's get this over with." The girl knocked on the door of the Student Council room then entered, Umi following behind.

* * *

"Ne, ne, Kayo-chin. The Student Council's going to post the representatives for each club today for the contest, right? I'm so excited – nya!"

"Hai! I guess they want to start advertising for the event as early as now. But I heard Umi-chan talked to Eli-chan, Nozomi-chan, and Nico-chan about this last week. I'm not certain what they decided, though. They wouldn't tell us anything. You think Nico-chan will be our representative, Maki-chan?"

"How should I know? As long as no one's pressuring anyone, it's fine with me. We just need to wait for them to make the announcement," the redhead said dismissively, mind preoccupied with something else.

The three first years walked down the hall towards their classroom, but paused when a group of girls suddenly ran past them, giggling. They looked at each other then resumed walking, but stopped again when they saw that a crowd was blocking their way. Hanayo's eyes widened when she realized what they were looking at, then dashed forward to try and get a closer look without being swallowed up by the other students.

"Kayo-chin!" "Hanayo!" Rin and Maki shouted as they forced their way into the crowd and stopped when they spotted Hanayo staring dumbly at the school notice board.

"Don't just run off like that – nya!" Apparently, Hanayo wasn't listening as her eyes were glazed over and her mouth hung open. Then suddenly, she smiled so wide and surprised her two classmates when she hugged them tightly.

"Umi-chan! It's Umi-chan! She entered the contest after all!" Rin and Maki peered over Hanayo's shoulder towards the notice board, and sure enough, Umi's name was, in fact, written on it next to their club.

"Wow! She really went through with it - nya!" The students dispersed from the hallway and headed towards their respective rooms just as the bell for first period rang.

"We didn't see who entered for the _Kyudo_ club, though. I hope they're not too disappointed that Umi-chan chose to represent us instead." Maki walked behind her friends, one thought replaying in her mind: _'Kyudo Club – Takeda Vere.'_

* * *

"Maki? Is it okay if you could accompany me somewhere after practice?" Umi whispered to the redhead as all the members headed up to the roof. Maki wanted to say no, but she hated to disappoint her senior, regardless of how miffed she was at her at the moment.

"Sure, I guess," Maki answered tightly, then went on ahead. Umi just stared at her junior's back, a little sad because of how the redhead's been acting towards her lately. She wasn't even sure why Maki was acting like that, but it all started ever since their talk in the music room the week prior. The bluenette just sighed then followed her fellow members upstairs.

"Alright, everyone. We only have three weeks to prepare for the school festival. So far, preparations for our live and the butler café have been progressing well. As you all know, Umi finally decided to represent our club for the Miss Handsome contest. Let's - "

"Yey, Umi-chan!"

"Thank you so much – nya!"

"W-we'll support you all the way!"

"Can I make your costume?"

"My cards tell me that you'll do great, Umi-chan!"

"Hmph. I guess I can teach you how to act properly during the contest. Just don't beg."

Maki just stared at Umi as the others pestered her with unnecessary gratitude and well wishes. Umi just stayed quiet, but it was obvious to Maki that she was getting really uncomfortable with all the attention she was receiving, from how red she was to how fast her eyebrows were twitching in irritation. Eli also seemed to notice so she, again, took control of the situation before Umi could explode.

"Okay, okay. Settle down, everybody. Let's not make this into that big a deal. We're just doing this for fun, so we need to make this as enjoyable and, err, as pain-free as we can for Umi. Got it?" Everybody nodded their heads at that.

"Good. Let's make this quick so we can start practice. Umi? Do you have any ideas on what kind of image you'd like to portray during the contest? A theme or something?"

"Huh? Oh! Umm, I'm not entirely sure yet. I have a few ideas, but I haven't worked out anything specific as of the moment. But I would like to make one simple request from all of you though." Everybody's full attention was suddenly on Umi. It wasn't like her to ask for something, so all of them were really curious.

"Forgive me for this, but I want to plan for the contest on my own." Silence met her, until what she said finally dawned on the other members. Their eyes bulged, their mouths hung open.

"Huh?"

"W-what?"

"What the hell are you saying, you stupid girl!"

"You're joking, right?"

"Umi, are you feeling well? How can you plan this on your own? It's supposed to be a team effort."

"That's right – nya!"

"You mean you don't want me to make your costume?"

Umi looked at her fellow members with as much patience as she could muster as they rattled their confusion and displeasure at her request. She then caught Maki's concerned stare, and they locked gazes for a few seconds before Honoka suddenly pounced on the bluenette, shaking her hard.

"Umi-chan! Don't just stand there! Answer us!" Umi's patience had ran out, her icy stare directed towards her childhood friend. Honoka was smart enough to know that Umi wasn't in a very good mood, so she let her go and hid behind Kotori as quickly as she could.

"Enough!" Umi crossed her arms, her hard stare made Honoka, Kotori, Hanayo, and Rin shiver. Even Nico gulped in fear but tried not to show how affected she was.

"I'm not asking for much. Just as Eli said, I don't want to make this a big deal for anyone. Well, technically it really is, but we have more important things to worry about. It's still only a beauty contest. I go up on stage, let people cheer, answer a few questions, and sing. That's basically it, right? Eli already gave me the program, and we already drew lots on the order of the contestants. I'm not even sure if it's fortunate or unfortunate that I'm last." Umi's eyes softened.

"Look. I'm not used to this. The least amount of time I spend worrying about this, the better. I'm sorry if I'm being a bit selfish, but having you guys fuss all over me only adds pressure, and you all know I can't handle that. It's one thing performing in front of an audience as a group, but I'll be going up there on my own. Of course, I'll ask help if I need it, but let's see how I fare first, okay?" The others just nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"We'll support you all the way, Umi-chan. But if things get too heavy for you, all you need to do is ask." Umi smiled widely, glad that that's over with. Practice started after that, and before they knew it, it was time to go home.

As usual, Umi was the last one to leave the rooftop after checking if they left anything behind. She already informed Honoka and Kotori to go home without her. As she turned around, she found Maki leaning on the wall near the door, waiting for her. Umi smiled as she approached the redhead.

"To be honest, I thought you left. But you're still here, so I'm really grateful." Maki blushed and looked away.

"I said I'll accompany you, didn't I? We better hurry and change so we can leave."

* * *

"So where are we going?" Maki asked Umi when she couldn't stand the silence any longer. Umi just grinned at her junior, took her hand, and led her inside what looked like an old music store.

"We're here." Maki looked around, confused. She followed her senior through an aisle of old vinyl records and got intrigued herself, finally stopping to browse through the vast collection in awe.

"These are classics! I didn't know they still sell these. How'd you know about this place, Umi?" Maki looked up, only to realize that Umi was looking at her, an amused expression on her face. The redhead blushed and covered her face with the record she was holding. Umi giggled softly, then reached out to take the disc from Maki's hands.

"I thought this place might interest you. Vere and I accidentally passed this place on our way to the bakery last week. I wanted to bring you here sooner, but for some reason you're very difficult to catch these days." As soon as the blonde's name left Umi's mouth, Maki felt her mood turn sour again. She turned away from Umi and fixed her attention on the records in front of her. The bluenette noticed the quick change in Maki's mood, and hurried to apologize for her insensitivity, even if she didn't know what it was she did.

"Maki? I'm so sorry! Did I say something inappropriate? I'm not sure if you're trying to be subtle, but it's pretty obvious that you've been ignoring me this past week. If I did something to offend you, then I apologize. I guess I'm not used to you not talking to me, and I-I, umm, really miss spending time with you," Umi softly said, her blush apparent on her face. Maki, also, had a blush on her face, but inside, she was grinning like a silly person because of what her senior said. The redhead walked a few paces away from Umi, contemplating on what she should tell the older girl as the bluenette followed the other with her eyes.

"It's not really because of something you did, per se." Maki wrung her fingers nervously, still not looking at Umi. Of all the people in the world, Umi's one of those she really couldn't lie to. Their friendship was based on honesty to begin with, and her senior would know if she's telling the truth or not.

"I-it's just that, w-well I…"

"Umi?" The two girls turned around to see a petite blonde walking towards them.

"Vere! What are you doing here?" Maki unconsciously clenched her fist as she finally had the opportunity to meet Umi's infamous friend.

"I was looking around for inspiration for the contest and thought to come here when I saw you." The second year then noticed the redhead behind her blue-haired friend.

"Oh, hi! You must be Nishikino Maki. It's great to finally meet the person who Umi talks very highly of. I'm Takeda Vere, by the way, from the _Kyudo_ club." The blonde moved to shake Maki's hand and, albeit reluctantly, the other took it, blushing.

"Ditto," was the redhead's caustic answer and took her hand back immediately, earning confused looks from her two seniors.

"Uh, Maki's not much of a talker when she meets new people." Umi noticed Maki's fists shaking slightly so she reached out and intertwined their hands together, effectively calming the younger girl. The two didn't notice the gleam of mischief in Vere's eyes as she observed her schoolmates. _"This'll be fun."_

"Anyway. I know we're sort of "rivals" now because of the contest, but I really wanted your opinion on something. Nishikino-san, is it okay if I steal Umi away from you for the rest of the day?" Vere asked Maki, and wasn't disappointed on the answer she got.

"No! She's here with me, isn't she? She doesn't have any reason to go with you!" Maki hissed and tightened her hold on Umi.

"Maki!"

"Aww, that's a shame. But I think Umi can answer for herself, don't you think?" The blonde was intentionally goading the redhead and Maki knew it, and both were glad that Umi's too dense to notice anything.

"Err, Vere, I was the one who asked Maki out today. It'll be rude and dishonorable of me if I just left her. We can talk tomorrow, if that's alright with you." The blonde looked towards her friend and noticed the worry reflected on her face, so she decided to let up on Maki for now. Well, not really.

"It's okay, Umi." At that, the petite girl reached for Umi's unoccupied hand and clasped it tightly, whispering loudly so that Maki could also hear.

"Since we'll be spending the whole day together tomorrow, anyway. You promised we'd go shopping, remember?" Vere winked at a dumbfounded Umi and let go of her hand, smirked and waved goodbye to Maki, then left.

* * *

A/N: my apologies again for the late update. The next chapter's already in the works, so hopefully it wouldn't take as long for me to update. Thanks again to those who's still reading!

PS: for those who posted reviews on my other stories, I am truly humbled by your kind words. Thank you for the support, everyone! Hopefully I'll continue to meet your expectations in the future. If not, well, I guess I'll just try harder. ^_^v


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